Golf club and attachment therefor



NOV; 1941. J.W. BUTTIKOFER 2,261,959

GOLF CLUB AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Filed Jan. 11, 1940 & &

15 21 1&

45 '45 o m Z a 47 r 40 INVENTOR 4 71m M K ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1941 I I 2,261,959 p e GOLF CLUB'AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR John Buttikofer, New Rochelle, N.

3 Claims.

'The' present invention 'relates'to means adapted to be used for marking the position of a golf ball, I particularly in instances on a putting green where the ball of-one player blocks or disturbs the play of a ball of another player.

In playin golf itifrequently happens that the ball of one player lies'in the path along which another player desires to hit his ball. This curs most frequently on putting greens where. each player of a group-endeavors, in succession, to hit his ball into the same cup or hole. All the balls thus tend tocongregate about the cup, one

or more of them may liebetween the cup and the ball of another player. In such cases the ball which-lies in the way is usually lifted and its approximate position marked either by roughing up theg-rasswith .a finger or 'by placing a coin or-other' object on the spot. The first method is generally only anapproximation and the second often requires a search through ones pockets for a suitable coin or other object. In many in stances players object to other balls on the green while putting, in which case the several players mark their positions.

The present invention aims to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical means for securing and retaining a suitable marking member in Application January 11, 1940, Serial No. 313,356

readily available position on a golf club. The invention also contemplates the provision of such means which may either be incorporated with a golf club shaft during the manufacture thereof or which may be attached to present golf clubs.

An object of the present invention is "to prov'ide means for securing a'marking member to ago'lf club.

' Another object of the invention is to provide arr-inexpensive means for retaining a marking member, which may be readily'manufactured.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for retaining a marking member so that i-tis immediately available for use at all times.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a holding means which may bereadily incorporated in a golf club during manufacture thereof.

7 A furtherobject of the invention is to provide means for retaining a marking member which may be readily'assembled with 'existinggolf clubs.

5 Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described; or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to invention in practice. A preferred embodiment of the invention has 7 one skilled in the art upon employment of the been chosenfor purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of wherein Fig. 1 "is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention at the/end? of a golf club; Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan View of;the*device illustrated in Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational.

view of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of'Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the device 'illusf trated in Figs. 1 to 4 embodied in a separate at tachment; v

Fig. 6 is a top plan Y view of a modified form of the invention; I

Fig.7 is a sectional view taken along n ne 1+1- of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line -8-"8 of Fig. *7 I Fig. 9 is a sideelevational view of another ern bodiment of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view device shown in Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken alongfline Referring again to the drawing and more particul'arly to Fig? '1 thereof, there is shown a golf club having a head -l, a shaft 2 with a wound grip 4, and a preferred-embodiment of the marker retaining means'i at the upper end of the shaft.

The majority -of-golf clubs manufactured and I sold at-the present time are'of the tapered, hol

low steel-shaft variety and Figs. '2 to 4 show the present device embodied in that type of-club.

shaft. In the preferred embodiment the marker retaining device is adapted to hold a flat, rela-f' tively thin-marker in 'asuita-bly shaped recess. A plug 1 made of 'wood; plastic molding compound or other suitable material is preferably fittedfinto I the hollow club shaft 8 so as to frictionally en-p gage the inside ofthe shaft. If desired, a bolt. orscrew may extend through a side of the shaft and into the plug 1 to hold it in position' The" plug I has an upwardly facing recess Hlfat the upper part thereof which contains a spring ll for supporting and urgingnoutwardly a ball 'mem-j ber l3. Excessive upward movement of the ball? [-3 is prevented by an apertured plate l4 secured tothe plug 7 by screws It or by other suitable means.

' smaller than the-diameter of the ball l3 to .allow q part of the ball to project outwardly through the,

the specification,

The aperture I! in the plate is slightly plate I4 but to prevent the ball I3 and spring II from separating from the plug 1.

After the plug 1 with the ball and spring assembly has been inserted into the club shaft 8, the upper end of the steel shaft is turned over to form an inwardly extending flange I8 spaced slightly above the ball I3 and plate I4 of the internally fitted plug assembly. A recess I9 is thus formed between the plug plate I4 and the flange I8 of a size adapted to receive a marker 29.

The marker 20 preferably comprises a relatively thin, flat member, preferably disc-like, which is pressed against the inwardly extending flange I8 at the upper end of the club shaft by the resilient cooperating ball and spring construction. The term disc-like is intended to apply equally as well to circular, oval, square or other shapes of markers. To facilitate insertion into and removal from the recess I9 of the marker 20, the flange I8 on the club shaft is preferably cut away at one side thereof (Fig. 2). This construction allows the marker 29 to be easily inserted from a sidewise direction under the flange I8 or to be removed in a sidewise direction from beneath the flange I8. -The ball is pressed upwardly by the spring II at all times to hold the disc member 20 firmly against the underside of the inwardly extending flange I8.

\Vhen it is desired to mark the position of a players ball the marker 29 may be easily removed from the recess I9 of the holder by pressing it downwardly and outwardly through the open portion of the flange. To place the marker back in the holder the reverse procedure may be easily followed.

The marker may have, if desired, a'recess or depression 2| as shown in Fig. at each side thereof for receiving the ball member I3; this forms a resilient locking arrangement which minimizes any possibility of accidentally dislodging the marker.

In Fig. 5 the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown included in an attachment for a golf club rather than actually built into a club. A marker retaining member 22 is provided with a recess 23 at its lower part adapted to fit over the end of a club handle and be secured thereto by a screw or bolt (not shown) extending through a hole 24 therein. While this retaining member 23 is shown with a recess or aperture 23 so that it i may fit over a club shaft, it will be clear that a plug-type end could be provided instead so that it could fit into the end of a hollow shaft. An inwardly extending flange Illa is provided adjacent the upper end of the retaining member 22 similar to that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4 and this fiange IBa is cut away in a similar manner at one side thereof to facilitate insertion and removal of a marker 20a. A recess Illa at the upper part of the retaining device carries a spring Ila. and ball member I31; and the upper end of this recess Illa is burred over to prevent accidental separation of the ball l3a from the recess. During insertion or removal of the marker 28a, the attachment operates in the same manner as the previously described device which is built into a golf club.

Another form of the attachment type of retaining device and marker is shown in Figs. 6 to 8. A cup-shaped or suitably recessed member 25 is adapted to fit over the end of a golf club and be attached thereto by a screw or bolt (not shown) passing through a hole 26 at the side of the recessed member. An aperture 28 through the top of the recessed member 25 is adapted to receive a marker member 33 to be later described. Instead of fitting over the end of a shaft, the recess member may have a projection (not shown) adapted to fit into the end of a hollow shaft.

A substantially flat, circular type of spring 29 adapted to cooperate with a modified form of marker 33 is located in the recessed member 25 adjacent the upper part thereof and has outwardly expandible portions or legs 3| and 32 adjacent its center part for cooperating with the modified form of marker 33. The flat spring 29 is maintained in position by an apertured plate 34 fitted within the recessed member 25 and held in position adjacent the upper part thereof by means of a screw or bolt 35 which extends through the side wall of the recessed member 25. The apertured plate 34 need not firmly grip the spring 29 in position against the upper end of the recessed member, for excessive lateral movement of the spring 29 is limited by the side walls of the recessed member 25.

The marker 33 which cooperates with the above describedretaining device preferably comprises a relatively thin, fiat, disc-like portion 36 with a pointed, outwardly projecting part or shank 3! secured to one side thereof. The projecting shank 31 fits, in assembled position, within the aperture 28 of the recessed member 25, the aperture of the plate member 34 and between the resilient legs 3| and 32 of the fiat spring member 29. The resilient spring legs 3| and 32 contact the sides of the projecting shank 31 and retain the marker'33 to the device. The projecting shank 3'I.may have a groove or channel 38 therein to receive the resilient spring legs 3| and 32 so as to more securely hold the parts together. The marker 33 may be removed from the holder by pulling it upwardly, whereupon theresilient spring legs 3| and 32 will yield outwardly. In use the pointed shank 38 of the marker 33 may be pushed into the ground, leaving the fiat disclike portion 36 visible to indicate the original position of a golf ball. l i

In Figs. 9 to 11 there is illustrated a further modified form of the invention adapted to retain a flat, relatively thin marker 29b of the type described in connection with the preferred embodiment. An outer casing member 39, which carries the means for retaining the marker, is provided with a recessed lower portion to receive the end of a golf club shaft and be secured thereto by a screw or bolt (not shown) which passes through an aperture 40 at one side of the casing member 39. Where the device is to be attached to a golf club having a hollow shaft, a projection of reduced diameter may be attached to the device and fitted into the hollow end of the club shaft.

The means for normally retaining a marker within the device in this instance preferably comprises a pair of suitably curved resilient members 4| and 42 screwed, riveted or otherwise attached in spaced relation at one end thereof to the inside of, and adjacent the upper portion of, the walls of the recessed outer casing member 39. The free ends 43 and 44 of the spaced resilient members press toward each other against the periphery of the marker 29?) to'hold it in position Within the device. The marker 20b may be inserted into and removed from the device by passing it through a recess 45 provided through the side wall of the casing member 39 substantially in line with the curved, resilient marker retaining members 4| and 42. A lower plate 46 fitted within the casing 39 below the curved resilient members 4| and 42 maintained in position by a screw or bolt 41 holds a marker 201) up between these members and in line with the side Wall recess 45.

The marker 2% may be removed from the device by means of a lever 48 pivotally mounted ing 39 at all times so that it may be moved Circumferentially with afinger, thus causing the opposite inner end to press against the marker 201) and eject it through the opposite aperture 45. It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and inexpensive device adapted to be utilized with a golf club for retaining a marking member in immediately available position at all times. The device may be incorporated with a golf club during manufacture thereof or may be made'as an attachment for existing golf clubs. In addition the device is rugged in construction and Well able to withstand the rough bination of ,a member having inturned flange portions at its upper end, a rigid fixed surface spaced slightly from said flange closing the space below the flange to form a seat for a disc marker and to assure sufficient space, below the flange portion to permit easy insertion and removal of the marker, said flange being recessed for a part of its periphery, said recess extending down to said fixed surface to permit a disc to be inserted into and removed from said seat, a cavity in said surface, a ball in said cavity and resilient means in the cavity beneath the ball to urge the ball upwardly against a marker on said surface to resiliently hold said marker in place, said ball being adapted to rotate to facilitate insertion and removal of the marker.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a golf club shaft having a hollow portion and aninwardly extending flange adjacent the upper part thereof, a plug located within the hollow portion of said shaft and spaced from said inwardly extending flange so as to form a seat adapted to receive a marker, said plug having a recess therein for containing marker retaining means seated at the lower part of said recess, a marker contacting member normally urged upwardly by said resilient means against a marker as to retain the marker on its seat, and an apertured plate attached to said plug over the recess therein to retain said marker contacting member in position within the plug recess.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a substantially cylindrical member for attachment to the end of a golf club, a recess on the side of said member at the upper end thereof, grooves extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the member leading to said recess and adapted to receive the edges of a marker, said member having a rigid part below the grooves bridging the space therebetween to assure sufficient space for insertion and removal of the marker, said rigid part having a cavity with its open end adjacent the plane of the lower side of said grooves, a ball free to rotate in said cavity to facilitate insertion and removal of a marker, and resilient means at the bottom of said cavity for urging said ball against a marker seated in said grooves.

JOHN W. BU'ITIKOFER. 

